Airports remain closed in Gulf region as oil surges to new high

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport remained closed yesterday owing to storm damage and flood waters from Hurricane Katrina as US airlines continued to cancel flights into the Gulf Coast region, with many not expecting to resume service before Friday. An even bigger challenge for the carriers is the price of oil, which surged to more than $70 per barrel as refineries in the region shut down in the face of the storm. In Washington, Air ...